Strong Livestock Title Needed in Senate Farm Bill
US - National Farmers Union joined nearly 200 like-minded organizations from across the country urging members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to include a strong livestock competition title in its version of the 2007 Farm Bill.
7 September 2007
2 minute read
“Increasingly, we’re seeing our agricultural markets dominated by just a few large companies, leaving independent family farmers and ranchers without competitive markets,”
NFU President Tom Buis
In a letter sent Tuesday to committee leaders, the groups called upon the committee to provide the leadership necessary to facilitate fair and transparent livestock and poultry markets.
“Increasingly, we’re seeing our agricultural markets dominated by just a few large companies, leaving independent family farmers and ranchers without competitive markets,” NFU President Tom Buis said. “Enacting policies that restore competition in agriculture and enforcement of existing laws will benefit not just the family farmer or rancher, but will provide economic opportunities throughout the countryside.”
A coalition of groups has been organized for many years in calling for a comprehensive livestock title to be included in a farm bill. In their letter, the groups urged the following provisions be included in the Senate farm bill:
Chairman Harkin’s proposed livestock title. The proposed title modernizes the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 and the Agricultural Fair Practices Act of 1967 to improve markets and enforcement of existing antitrust laws in agriculture.
Ending price manipulation. Enacting the Captive Supply Reform Act, the ban on packer ownership of livestock and resolving a judicial conflict will help protect producers from market manipulation.
Include House country-of-origin labeling (COOL) provision in Senate bill. The House-passed bill includes a provision to, after repeated delays, finally implement mandatory COOL. NFU is hosting its annual fall fly-in later this month, with more than 200 Farmers Union members from across the country traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers. Enacting a strong livestock competition title will be a top priority during Capitol Hill office visits.
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